Dropside mounting and adjusting means for a child&#39;s crib



AL DROPSIDE MOUNTING AND ADJUSTING MEANS FOR A CHILDS CRIB Filed Sept. 2, 1947 p 12} 1950 I M SIEGEL ET 2,522,001

MAX .SIEGEL AND 5. AJA c055.

JNVENTORS.

' ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 12, 1950 DROPSIDE MOUNTING AND ADJUSTING MEANS FOR A CHILDS CRIB Max Siege] and Saul E. Jacobs, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 2, 1947, Serial No. 771,732

7 Claims. (01. -400) This invention relates to dropside mounting and adjusting means for a child's crib.

An important object of this invention is to con solidate all the hardware in each corner portion v of the crib into a more compact and more simple structure. In said consolidated structure the heretofore used U brackets, which act as guides for the dropside crib members, are dispensed with, there being substituted for them vertically adjustable, straight rods which are supported in each instance by a simplified, novel bracket within which one of the rods slides and is lockable in the desired adjusted position. In this improved construction use of Wood can readily be avoided so that metal slides in metal, instead of metal sliding in wood, the result being a more wear-resistant structure.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a crib structure wherein the entire rail-locking unit at each side of the crib is positioned between the top and bottom rails leaving unobstructed the space above the top rails and below the bottom rails.

Another object of the invention is so to construct the device as to eliminate the showing of any hardware either on the outside faces of the crib panels, or above any dropside top rail when the latter is in a down position. Also it is an object of the invention so to construct the device that no hardware will show at the bottom of the bottom rail of the dropside when the latter is in the up position.

Still another object is to provide an improved anti-rattling crib structure wherein certain spiral springs are so utilized as to prevent looseness or play between cooperating mechanical parts. The hardware whereby this latter object is attained is so made that it can be attached by the manufacturer to the completely made crib, thus making it unnecessary for the ultimate consumer to put into place attaching screws.

Yet another object is to provide, for the dropside structures of the crib, mounting brackets each of which may conveniently be provided with a plurality of projections to support adjustably an adjacent corner of the mattress frame.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, on a smaller scale than the remaining views, of a childs crib equipped with the invention, parts being broken away to contract the view and to disclose underlying structure. In the left end portion of the view the dropside members are shown in the upper adjusted position and in the opposite end portion of the crib in the lower adjusted position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a corner portion of the crib illustrating the invention as applied thereto, certain parts extending along the plane of section being shown in elevation, and portions of the structure being broken away in order to shorten the view. In the midlength portion of the view a latch means is shown in full lines in its locked position and in dotted lines in its released position.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the latch member and the spring which tends to move it to locking position.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the crib shown includes end walls 5 and 6, bridging the space between which are the twin vertically positioned. dropside structures 1 and 8, said dropside structures each including a horizontal top rail 9, horizontal bottom rail l0 and a conventional series of vertical slats l I.

The slat I I adjacent to the end of each of said dropside structures, is spaced far enough from the end of the crib to provide room for a vertical uide rod M or 15 which is in a fixed relation to the dropside structure of which it forms a part. The rod l4 and structure adjacent thereto is shown in detail in Fig. 2, where is shown a bracket l6 made of thick rigid sheet metal or strap iron and shaped as a broad, rectangular U with its base l1 extending vertically and shown attached by screws l8 to the inner face of the outer edge portion of the aforesaid wall 5 of the crib. This bracket has, struck in from the lower end portion of its base, the usual angular tongue Hi, there being four of said tongues, cooperating to support the mattress frame.

1 Each of said brackets l6 includes also a, hori-- zontal upper arm 20 and horizontal lower arm 2|. The latter arm has through its outer end portion a circular aperture 22 within which slidably fits the aforesaid guide rod l4, and vertically above this aperture the arm 20 has through its outer end portion a like aperture 23 within which likewise slidably fits said guide rod.

Manually operable latch means are provided to lock in two vertically adjusted positions the rods [4 and I5 together with the dropside structures 1 or 8 vof which they form a part. This latch means, in each instance, comprises a slide 24 shaped as a flattened sleeve and having a downwardly directed end portion or ear 25 which forms of the bracket arm so that the rod cannot be shifted laterally into a locked relation between said bracket arm and the grooved portions of the rod. But the sheet material out of which the latch member 24 is made is sufficiently thin to enter said grooves of the rod to perform the desired locking function. To this end there is pro--v vided, in the lower side of the latch sleeve 24 an aperture 32 with a straight edge portion 33 at one outer end of the arm 20, and the other end portion of said spring abutting within the sleeve 24 against the inner face of the aforesaid downturned'end portion of the sleeve, releasably to maintain'the sleeve in its outer, locked position.

' "In order'to prevent the latch member 24 from disconnection with the arm 20 when the guide rod I4 is completely withdrawn a stop depression 39 is provided in the upper side portion of the sleeve 24 which cooperates with the outer edge of an opening 40 the front edge of which acts as a stop shoulder.

Each 'rod 20, when in its raised position crosses one of the rails H] to compress a lower spring 4| coiled around the rod, and when in its upperposition causes one of the upper rails 9 to compress an upper Spring 42 coiled around the rod. Therefore, at all times one or the other of these two springs effectively prevents any rattling movement of the adjusted parts.

The upper end portion of the guide rod. 14 of Fig; 2 is shown having been driven in a frictiontight manner into a bored socket 45 provided for it in the upper .rail 9, the lower end portionof said rod being fitted within a bore 46 through the lower rail I0; in which bore said rod is fastened by a cross pin or screw 41. It is to be understood that all four of the guide rods, together with the parts with which they cooperate, are constructed according to the large scale showing of Fig. 2.

In assembling the structure which is shown in Fig. 2, first attach the bracket l6 to the crib member 5. Then feed the rod l4 upwardly through the bore 46 of the bottom rail l0, feed downwardly onto the rod the lower spring 4! and then feed the rod upwardly through the mounted bracket. Preparatory to this last act the latch,

member 24 must be so positioned upon the bracket arm 20 that the openings in these two parts will aline for the reception of the rod. Then the upper spring 42 will be fed downwardly upon the rod. whereupon the upper end portion l 53,0 relation to the guide rod 14, one end portionof this'spring occupying a notch .36 cut into the 4 of the latter will be forced in a friction tight manner into the bored socket 45 provided therefor in the top rail 9. Then, after the lower end portion of the rod has been properly positioned within the bore 46 the pin 41 will be put into place.

We claim:

1. A dropside regulating device for a childs crib, comprising a vertical rod bridging the space "betwee'nand secured" to the upper and lower rails of the dropside structure, a broadly U -shaped bracket having a base abutted against and secured to the inner face of an end wall of the crib, said rod passing loosely through both the arms of said bracket, said rod having around it atdifferent points along its length a plurality of annular locking grooves, a latch slide slidably mounted upon one of said bracket arms and having through it a locking aperture engageable singly with said annular grooves around the rod to lock the latter against longitudinal movement in relation to the bracket, a spring positioned between a part of the bracket arm-,upon which said slide is mounted and the slide to urge the latter into locked position, and a fingerhold car.- ried by the slide to retract the latter from its locking position in oppositionto said spring. .7

2. A dropside regulating device for a childs crib, comprising a vertical rod bridging the space between and secured to the upper and lower rails of the dropside structure, a broadly ueshaped bracket having a base abutted against and secured to the inner face of an end wall of the crib, said rod passing loosely through both the arms of said bracket, said rod having around it at different points along its length a plurality of annular locking grooves, a latch sleeve slidably surrounding one of said bracket arms, said sleeve having alined apertures through its opposite sides through which said rod passes, one of said apertures having an edge portion interlockable singly with said grooves around the rod, the outer end of said bracket arm being recessed and the outer end of said sleeve having a deflected portionwhich forms a closure for the outer. end of the sleeve and also provides a fingerhold for use in manually Sliding said sleeve, and a compression spring housed within said sleeve, said spring having one end portion contained within said notch and. its opposite end portion abutting against the closed end portion of the sleeve thus tending to slide the sleeve outwardly into a look ing position in relation to the annularly grooved parts of the rod.

, 3. A dropside regulating device for a childs crib, comprising a broadly U-shaped bracket having its base vertically disposed and abutted against and secured to the inner face of an'end wall of a crib, a vertical rod bridging the space between and secured to the upper and lower rails of the dropside structure, said rod passing loosely through apertures in said arms of said bracket, said rod having around it atdifferent points along its length a plurality of locking grooves, and a locking means mounted upon one of said bracket arms and engageable singly with said grooves in the rod to lock the latter against longitudinal movement in relation to said bracket.-

retract the latter from its locking position in op-z position to said spring, said slide comprising a sheet metal sleeve loosely embracing the bracket arm upon which it is mounted.

5. A dropside regulating device for a childs crib, comprising a broadly U-shaped bracket havin its base vertically disposed and abutted against and secured to the inner face of an end wall of a crib, a vertical rod bridging the space between and secured to the upper and lower rails of the dropside structure, said rod passing loosely through apertures in said arms of said bracket, said rod carrying a plurality of stop elements located at different-points along its length, and manually releasable locking means carried b said bracket in a cooperative relation to said stop means to lock said rod against longitudinal movement in relation to said bracket.

6. The subject matter of claim 1 and, a projection carried by the lower part of said bracket in a position to support the adjacent corner of the mattress frame.

7. A dropside regulating device for a child's crib, comprising a broadly U-shaped bracket having its base vertically disposed and abutted against and secured to th inner face of an end wal1 of a crib, a vertical rod bridging the space between and secured to the upper and lower rails of the dropside structure, said rod passing loosely through apertures in said arms of said bracket, said rod having around it at different points along its length a plurality of locking grooves, and a locking means mounted upon one of said bracket arms and engagable singly with said grooves in the rod to lock th latter against longitudinal movement in relation to said bracket, said base carrying between its said arms a plurality of internal projections positioned to sup port adjustably the adjacent corner of the mattress frame.

MAX SIEGEL. SAUL B. JACOBS.

Name Date Shaw Aug. 21, 1945 Number 

